St. Paul Family I want to let you know that we’ve survived another decade together.  It’s no goodness of our own but because the hand of the Lord that’s upon us.  I am so thankful that we’re all here in 2020 because it’s the hand of the Lord that’s upon us.  We have come this far by faith because it’s the hand of the Lord that’s upon us.  As John P. Kee wrote “I (We) made it out I (We) made it out alright, thank you dear Lord you did not leave me nor forsake me, thank you dear Lord you did not let my enemies take me.  I am still in the fight and I made it out alright.”  Let’s us remember what the Lord did in 2019:

2019 In Review
We continued to cast our vison of “Spreading a Passion for the Supremacy of God in All Things for the Joy of All People through Jesus Christ Our Lord” so that our family members are able to run when they read it.  We continued to encourage family involvement in ministry as well as leadership accountability by developing requirements for our leaders to follow.  We continued to focus on how we, as members of the body of Christ, must all come together and operate effectively for the benefit of God’s Kingdom.        
There were challenges and sorrows in 2019.  Our music ministry continues to struggle due to lack of leadership in this area.  Additionally, we encountered some fiscal spending challenges which necessitated us to evaluate and update our internal controls and fiduciary responsibilities. Along with these challenges we also bid goodbye to family and friends’ member like Brother John Nobel, Brother John Waters, Reverend(s) Ferrell and Bryant.  Through all the challenges and losses, we “Kept on Believing” God will answer prayer and he did.

God blessed our family outreach ministry in 2019 as we continued our endeavor to impact the community we serve.  We successfully provided transportation and meals for more than 200 people during the 2019 code blue season.  The hand of the Lord is upon “US” and continues to make a way for us to bind up the broken hearted because we applied for and received a $500 matching grant for the 2020 code blue season which runs through April 2020. 
God also blessed our family youth ministry as we continued our efforts to “Spread A Passion for God’s Supremacy” among future generations.  In 2019 we successfully hosted another Youth Conference at American Keswick.  God touched the hearts of Brother Williams and Sisters Cook, Rainner, Schaffer and Williams to take leadership positions with this year’s Youth Conference.  They developed ice breaker games, facilitated discussions, lead nature walks, chaperoned activities and developed / administered a feedback survey to improve future youth conferences.  God allowed us to support and facilitate one of young women, from the conference, getting into Miles College.  She completed her first semester in December.  God is using our little group to effectuate change in the lives of others for his kingdom. 

Finally, God blessed our family to realize Mother Ella Smith’s dream for a new marquee along with the unveiling to the community of our new logo (on the letterhead) and sign.  We raised the additional funds to go with those left by Mother Smith and on December 22^nd dedicated our New Digital Marquee, Logo and Sign!  The Hand of The Lord Was Upon Us in 2019 because “[a] little that a righteous man hath [is] better than the riches of many wicked” [Psalm 37:16 KJV].

A Look Ahead to 2020
Looking ahead to 2020, we must strengthen our individual and collective resolve to become more Deliberately Developmental and Strategic in our activities.  We must nurture growth in Christ while fostering and cultivating communication on the implementation of diverse ministry ideas.  We must develop disciples to build Soul Winning Action Teams (“SWAT”) to evangelize and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Vineland to all ages and ethnicities.  We must stay focused on our “Vision” and encourage all to become passionate in their pursuit of God through Jesus Christ by the aid of the Holy Ghost.  Our efforts must transcend denomination while cultivating our spiritual dynamic, fresh initiatives, and values that will provide the principles supporting our vision.  In 2020 we will strive to be as “one who looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein] . . . not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work . . ..”  To this end we will focus our efforts in the following areas:

Soul Winning Action Team (S.W.A.T) – Evangelism

1. Semi-Annual Nursing Home Visit – March & December
2. Vacation Bible School - July
3. Community Prayer, Provisions, & Praise in The Parking Lot - August

1. Youth Retreat – June
2. Community Dinner & Code Blue – December
3. Youth Enrichment Scholarship - September